Christopher Nolan’s movie adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” is presently taking pictures on location all all over the world. Matt Damon is taking part in Odysseus, with Tom Holland portraying Odysseus’ son, Telemachus. As well as, Charlize Theron is reported to be taking part in Circe, whereas the movie boasts an enormous solid of giant celebrities, together with Zendaya, Anne Hatheway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo, Elliot Web page, Will Yun Lee, Mia Goth, and plenty of others apart from. Filming has taken place in Aït Benhaddou, Morocco, and varied places round Greece. Some scenes had been filmed on Sicily, and others had been filmed within the woods of Scotland or at a studio in Los Angeles. It seems that Nolan wished to re-visit the true places of the Mediterranean the place “The Odyssey” takes place. Nicely, Scotland and L.A. however.
In accordance with a brand new report from Deadline, nonetheless, Nolan has filmed “The Odyssey” in a location that’s politically problematic. Zendaya and Damon shot just a few of their scenes not too long ago within the area of Western Sahara close to the town of Dakhla. This space of the world has been declared a “non‑self‑governing territory” by the United Nations, a designation it was given means again in 1963. Precise sovereignty of Western Sahara — a sparsely populated space of 600,000 individuals — has lengthy been disputed. Western Sahara has been militarily occupied by Morocco, however Morocco hasn’t been internationally acknowledged because the rightful ruler of the world. That is to say, the native Sahrawi inhabitants are being repressed.
Lately, although, the US and the UK have claimed that Western Sahara is a part of Morocco. Large U.S. and UK film studios have even been negotiating with the Moroccan authorities to movie there, resulting in controversy and a tacit approval of Morocco’s occupation of the world. Now, by taking pictures “The Odyssey” in Western Sahara, Nolan has — maybe unwittingly — given credence to the navy occupation and the oppression and erasure of the Sahrawi individuals.
Christopher Nolan is filming The Odyssey in Western Sahara, a contested space of Northern Africa
Deadline identified that the Amazon sequence “The Wheel of Time” additionally beforehand filmed scenes in Western Sahara, outraging the board of the Western Sahara Worldwide Movie Competition (or FiSahara). Though filmmakers are doubtless simply on the lookout for faraway and exquisite locales, the politics of their decisions are insensitive. FiSahara launched an announcement on the matter, saying:
“Dakhla isn’t just a ravishing location with cinematic sand dunes. Primarily, it’s an occupied, militarized metropolis whose indigenous Sahrawi inhabitants is topic to brutal repression by occupying Moroccan forces. […] By filming a part of ‘The Odyssey’ in an occupied territory billed as a ‘information black gap’ by Reporters With out Borders, Nolan and his crew, maybe unknowingly and unwillingly, are contributing to the repression of the Sahrawi individuals by Morocco.”
FiSahara appears to be giving Nolan the good thing about the doubt, understanding that the plight of the Sahrawi individuals is just not well-perpetuated amongst Western information sources. Nolan might not know that the Sakrawi individuals cannot make their very own films. This, after all, impressed FiSahara to make the assertion within the first place. It continued:
“We’re positive that had been they to know the complete implications of filming such a high-profile movie in a territory whose indigenous peoples are unable to make their very own movies about their tales beneath occupation, Nolan and his crew could be horrified. Morocco routinely touts Sahrawi cultural expressions as uniquely Moroccan. They created a movie competition in Dakhla to counter ours and produce high-budget movies that painting Western Sahara as a part of Morocco. Nevertheless, Sahrawis attempting to make movies about their lives are persecuted and should work clandestinely and at nice danger to themselves and their households.”
One would possibly suppose Nolan, when being made conscious of this, would perceive what his places meant.
The historical past of Western Sahara
The problem was elucidated upon additional in a latest report from The Guardian. Western Sahara was beneath the occupation of Spain till the federal government pulled out in 1976. Morocco then annexed the nation and has been occupying it ever since. The UN, as talked about, famous that Western Sahara is just not formally dominated by Morocco, however that it would not have its personal official authorities but both. In accordance with the Workplace of the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, no reporters have been allowed within the territory for the final 9 years, and allegations have arisen that the Moroccan authorities is intimidating, observing, and discriminating towards the Sahrawi individuals.
Amnesty Worldwide has additionally written experiences on the oppression of the Sahrawi individuals, whereas Reporters With out Borders have famous that nobody ever will get to go there to get the complete scoop. It’s, of their phrases, a desert for journalists.
The priority about taking pictures a high-profile function movie like “The Odyssey” in Western Sahara is that it might be a whitewashing of the repression. If a serious Hollywood studio can write off on the oppression, then some might assume that it is not so huge a deal. Followers are extra curious about Nolan’s craft and different “Odyssey” films.
The shoot in Dakhla lasted a mere 4 days, and Nolan had already moved his manufacturing out of the territory earlier than FiSahara made its assertion (as famous by The Guardian). Common has not but mentioned something concerning the subject, and Nolan hasn’t gone on report on the matter. Additional bulletins can be posted as occasions warrant.
“The Odyssey” opens in theaters on July 17, 2026.
